Tag Archives: clare county council

Clare County Council is open to considering a new twining link for Ennis, according to a local councillor. Commenting on moves to officially link the county town with Ennis in Texas, USA, Mayor Ann Norton said the normal procedure is to build a relationship with a location before a decision on a more formal arrangement is made by the twinning committee. Ennis is currently twinned with Phoenix, Arizona and an official link with the Lone Star State would open possibilities for new cultural, tourism and business links between County Clare and the US. The possibility of a formal tie-up with the two towns emerged this week after Ronan Bradley from Corofin helped to arrange a visit to council headquarters by Texan County Judge Mark Riley on May 25. Having started a new Facebook page entitled Ireland’s Inner Beauty, Mr Bradley said he is looking forward to Mr Riley’s visit to the Banner County, which he hopes will be the start …

PLANS for the opening of a coffee shop in the Market area of Ennis, which were objected to by a number of local businesses, have been turned down by the council, saying it would lead to an “erosion” of the retail character of the locality. National franchise Insomnia had been planning to open a 78-seater outlet on Lower Market Street, at the site of the former XtraVision store within the Architectural Conservation Area of Ennis. Margaret McGann applied to Clare County Council for the change of use of 29 Lower Market Street from a retail unit to a coffee shop, which would operate under the Insomnia chain. Separate objections to the plans were lodged with Clare County Council by the operators of Souper Café and Restaurant, Food Heaven, Meanwell Ltd and Zest. According to objectors, the plans would lead to a loss of business for existing operators, leading to fears of closures and job cuts. This was dismissed by the …

CLARE county councillors will be asked to support a proposed upgrading of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Car Park, despite a claim this it is contrary to a previous Bord Pleanála ruling. In a report prepared for councillors for the adjourned meeting last Monday, deputy chief executive Ger Dollard recommended that the council proceed with the works as outlined, subject to a number of conditions outlined in a local authority planning report. “The effect of the works will be to upgrade the existing car park at the Cliffs of Moher from its temporary construction state to the standard expected in a car-parking facility and which serves the second most visited tourist attraction in Ireland. “Subject to tendering process and funding arrangements, it is unlikely that works will proceed until late 2017 at the earliest,” he stated. It is expected that councillors will decide to accept, reject or adjourn a decision on this Part Eight planning application when they reconvene next …

THE idea of Shannon Airport being washed away by floods sounds like an Irish take on the disaster movie genre but, according to the Office of Public Works (OPW), if the cards fell in an unfortunate manner this year, more than €103 million worth of damage could be done. While the scenario is unlikely, the OPW has found that, in the event of a once-in-a-thousand-year flood, 21 buildings at the airport would be at risk, with overall potential damages of €103,237,626. It also says in the event of a mid-range event, damage could be in the region of €174m, rising to €289m in a high-end future scenario. In a statement this week, Shannon Airport said it is not overly worried about flooding but it is taking steps to protect what is a hugely important piece of regional infrastructure. “In its 70 years of operation, Shannon Airport has never closed for flood-related issues. We are liasing with the OPW and Clare …

This quacked feathered friend has cried fowl of the usual nesting spots, to make a hanging basket dangling over the River Fergus her home. And it appears that the duck is quackers about its new residence on the Mill Road Bridge in Ennis. The hanging basket had been due to be moved by Clare County Council’s gardening section, who were surprised to see that it had a new resident nestled among the flowers. The basket will now remain in place until the female duck decides it is time to leave, the local authority has confirmed. Brendan Keogh, a gardener with the council’s gardening section, explained, “The duck had nested in one of the hanging baskets close to the mill on the Mill Road Bridge. Clare County Council’s gardening section was relocating the baskets for the summer season when the nesting bird was spotted. The bird and the basket in question will be left in situ.” While the bird has been …

The Rural Development Directorate of Clare County Council is inviting expressions of interest from new and established business and community groups across the county in relation to the Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2017. An initiative under the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development ‘Realising our Rural Potential’, funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the primary aim of the €20 million scheme is to enhance and develop towns and villages socially, economically and culturally. Up to 300 towns and villages across Ireland will benefit from funding under the scheme, which will be made available locally through Clare County Council to support rural regeneration.  The scheme is specifically targeted at rural towns and villages with populations of less than 10,000. Applications from towns can range from €20,000 to a maximum of €100,000. Chief executive of Clare County Council Pat Dowling said, “The scheme will allow local business and community groups to fund projects that can …

A training exercise testing the response capabilities of Shannon Foynes Port Company, local authorities and other organisations who operate in the vicinity of the Shannon Estuary took place at Spanish Point this week. The simulated event, which was hosted by Clare County Council on behalf of the Shannon Estuary Anti-Pollution Team (SEA-PT), centred on a major spillage of crude oil from an exploration platform located approximately 220km off the south west coast of Ireland with oil coming ashore at Spanish Point. Other parameters for the exercise included notification that the source of the pollution had been brought under control and that there had been no casualties on the oil exploration platform. There was a practical element on site at Spanish Point involving operation and demonstration of equipment while a technical briefing was be carried out on equipment on site for officials. The second day of the event consisted of the management of a simulated large scale event for senior management …

Raising road safety awareness and reducing the number and severity of road traffic collisions on Clare’s roads is the objective of an event in the public car park at Glór, Ennis, next week. The roadshow will include a roll-over simulator demonstrating what it is like to be involved in a car crash, first hand accounts from emergency first responders and an interactive shuttle featuring driving, motorbike and bicycle simulators, reaction timers, Driver Theory Test computers, and screens showing road safety advertisements. Organised by the Clare Road Safety Action Group, comprising Clare County Council, An Garda Síochána, HSE, Road Safety Authority, Clare Civil Defence and Clare County Fire & Rescue Service, it is open to all. On Wednesday morning, hundreds of secondary school students will witness the full horror of a road crash at a simulation aimed at showing teenagers the human tragedy behind the statistics. The demonstration is targeted at young people who are about to embark on their driving careers or who …